


The Experimental Archives of the Walking Dead

by Apathetic Lambchoppi (Apathetic_Lambchoppi)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alice went to a library to learn how to make a shower!, Attempting to not bash, Characters and Tags will be added as they appear, Even the name, Expect lots of DIY projects, F/M, Gen, Her name is Alice - Freeform, I do have 1 OC, I don't particularly hate any character, I promise OC isn't meant to be super smart, I'm not afraid to fuck with canon, Starts when Sophia runs and Daryl and Rick go out on their own to find her, The dog is straight up my dog, They find someone else instead!, Will diverge from canon at some point, and I'm really hoping she isn't too Mary Sue-like, and things I personally think people could do during the apocalypse to make living easier, but expect some changes to be made to the extreme stupidity that happens sometimes, even if some of them act stupid, just regular smart, totally verbatim I own him, with common sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23889694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apathetic_Lambchoppi/pseuds/Apathetic%20Lambchoppi
Summary: The subject was in mid level stages of deterioration. Lacerations to the throat made it clear that the subject hadn’t been killed by a fellow infected, and it appeared that he hadn’t been bitten. She theorized that somehow the man had gotten caught and cut himself, and ran away to safety. He bled out afterwards, and his friends, if he had any, likely had no idea there was a job to finish.How unfortunate that is too, for she can only imagine how many individuals were killed by their own family, ignorant that the dead no longer remain inanimate.
Relationships: Lori Grimes/Rick Grimes
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	1. What to Do When a Walker Starts Necking You

The subject was in mid level stages of deterioration. Lacerations to the throat made it clear that the subject hadn’t been killed by a fellow infected, and it appeared that he hadn’t been bitten. She theorized that somehow the man had gotten caught and cut himself, and ran away to safety. He bled out afterwards, and his friends, if he had any, likely had no idea there was a job to finish. 

_ How unfortunate that is too, I can only imagine how many individuals were killed by their own family, ignorant that the dead no longer remain inanimate. _

Within her hand was a well loved, but worn journal. Keeping the infected within her sights, she meticulously documented her observations.  _ Overall in decent health, movements, while sluggish like all infected, suggest the ability to maintain a steady jog for some time. Reminds me of the hypothesis #13 that the infected can heal. Due to the minor cause of death, his ability to move remained uninfringed upon reanimation. With this, he would clearly have more of a chance to catch prey. That could also help explain how these human bodies can continue moving even though they are clearly decomposing, and for a normal human the muscles and ligaments wouldn’t be functional at this point. Extremely interesting theory, supporting how much I need to find a way to keep one intact for further tests. I really need a way to study the brain too, to see if any higher levels of function are still occurring, and another note to self, seriously need to get some human biology after death books or something... _

She felt her pen hitting the bottom of the page, and with a huff looked down to flip to the next. Only a few pages remained, the ones previous filled with observations, summaries, detailed experiments and the results found. A neat stack of post it notes lay in the inner front cover, and the rest of the book was generously filled with them. She glanced over her previous words, and she scrunched up her nose at the chicken scratch and poor quality. 

_ I’ll have to rewrite these when I get back, what a waste of paper. I’ll have to explore further out this time, maybe try to find another Staples? Could see about getting more pencils as well, so I don’t have to use pens. No one tried to get into writing supply stores after the outbreak-  _ hungry growls suddenly pierced the silence, and before she had a chance to grab the vial at her waist, the infected seized her, sharp jagged nails digging into her leather jacket. 

“Oh-oh god fuck ugh-” They tussled for a moment, and she fell backwards, the tree behind her balancing her while also knocking the breath out of her. The infected fell as well, unnaturally strong arms grappling at her sides, and she could feel the bruises beginning to form. 

_ It’s unlikely this one has had much fight with any of his victims, and I doubt it’s gotten caught in any traps before. None of the fingers have been broken, and even the surrounding skin is oddly intact. Truly a perfect specimen, damn I wish I didn’t have to kill this one.  _

While she couldn’t stop her ongoing thoughts, the other half of her brain was screaming bloody murder, and that’s what was basically coming from her mouth. “Oh Jesus fuck it hurts, FUCK think, think before you’re dead-oh shit-” 

The infected attempted to bite down, its sharp canines almost piercing the thick duct tape wrapped around her neck. At this point her entire brain was occupied with freaking out. Tears leaked from her eyes, an entirely instinctive response that she elected to ignore. 

“Fuck going into shock, can’t stop need to  _ think-”  _ She pushed as hard as she could but only succeeded in making the infected grab her upper arms instead of her shoulders, and it’s desperate biting to relocate to her right shoulder. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her shaking body. The tears continued to flow, but as long as she could think she could find a way out of this.

_ I’m completely covered, and as long as I get out of this hold soon he won’t have the chance to pierce the suit. Remember, you tested it for this exact situation. Can’t move your arms, you’re pinned. Your legs are free though, and if you can get a second you can reach the syringe. From there it's easy.  _

As a plan formed she felt herself relaxing, and while that allowed the infected to get closer, he still couldn’t get beneath her suit. She could feel the sprain on her arms though, and knew that soon enough she would be risking a broken bone, and not just terrible bruises. She was still sobbing, but nevertheless readied her legs to kick, when out of nowhere an arrowhead appeared through the infected’s forehead, and it dropped to the ground in a heap. She dropped to her knees in relief, panting and gasping and shaking while the ice chunks in her chest suddenly melted into pure sweet relief. 

_ Okay, fuck thank god I’m alive, oh god oh-  _ She choked on her own spit, and felt a headache starting from hyperventilating.  _ I-shit don’t go into shock, it’s okay its-oh someone’s here need to get up GET UP-  _ She opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them, and she attempted to focus on anything in front of her, rather than the disgusting image of a peeling face and rabid yellow eyes. Before her stood two men, but more importantly,  _ uninfected men. _

* * *

Her first thought was that these men were fairly healthy looking, and surprisingly clean.  _ It can’t have been more than a week since they’ve last had a bath of some sort, and while neither of them are heavy, they aren’t starving either. They either have a river near them, or have the water to spare to clean themselves. Either way, they’re doing fairly well.  _

This relaxed her, at least partially, because starving people were much harder to reason with. And while they could be doing well  _ because  _ they were thieves, a group of men not hesitating to save her suggested they were at least decent, if not good people. 

_ Can only work with what I know.  _

With that, she dispelled her fear for the time being and lifted herself, a sunny smile tugging at her lips while she waved. 

“Uh hello! Thank you so much for rescuing me there- I thought I would be a goner for sure. I’m Alice.” 

_ There, nice and polite!  _ She saw them glancing at one another, and she definitely didn’t miss that the more rugged one of the two, who also saved her, lowered his crossbow at her words. The middle one with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes had lowered his gun awhile ago, and stepped forward with an extremely kind and genuine smile. Alice felt a part of herself she hadn’t even realized was tense loosen. 

“Hey there, my name is Rick Grimes. My friend over there is Daryl. Are you okay?” The newly named Daryl grunted, and appeared to make a move to step forward as well, but ultimately decided to keep his distance. 

“What he means to say is are you bit?” 

His tone was harsh, but Alice decided the question was reasonable and important enough that any rudeness could be forgiven. She felt for the messy straps that kept her homemade human bite-proof neck guard flush to her skin, and removed it with some difficulty. 

_ Damn he really did a number on my arms. May have torn some muscles when I pushed him and his grip slipped.  _

She took off her close fitted leather jacket as well, with arms that were reinforced with duct tape. Underneath she wore a simple green tank top, and it was easy to see that while red from forming bruises and pressure, the infected hadn’t pierced her skin. She heard both of their exhales of relief, and while she knew that the man couldn’t have gotten her, she felt herself begin to breathe easier. She looked back up at them, with an even wider smile in place. 

“Sure looks like it to me. So Rick and Daryl? Truly lovely to meet you both. And thanks again for the save, I was honestly thinking I might not make it out alive.” Rick made a move to step closer, and she decided to just start walking towards them. She wasn’t that shy, and the questions she had needed answered. Rick returned her smile. 

“It’s great to meet you too. We haven’t seen a group just out and about since, well, I don’t think we have! So it’s wonderful knowing that other people are surviving.” 

She didn’t miss his word “group” and wondered if he was intentionally fishing for information, or couldn’t believe that a girl like her could survive alone. She decided the information was trivial, and figured she would be as open as she could be. 

“I guess you still haven’t seen a group, cause it’s just me out here. Is it just you two?” She decided to sit then, stretching as she did, and picked up her journal from where it had fallen as well. Rick’s smile seemed strained, and she knew then that his wording hadn’t been a coincidence. And that he had wanted her to be part of a group for some reason. 

_ Could still be thieves, but maybe they need help?  _

“No way n’ hell you ain’t part of some group. Small fry like you? Besides, yer too clean, and no rivers for miles.” Alice felt her heart speeding up at the observations, and decided that if these two were enemies she would need to tread carefully. 

_ Both of them are smart, and they clearly want something from me, or else there wouldn’t be an interrogation. Does it hurt me to indulge them?  _

It didn’t, she decided. If anything, it was two on one. She’d beaten worse odds. 

“You’re right. About the cleanliness anyway- my base is a ways back. I decided to branch out today, look for some more supplies. But yeah, I’m set up near a river. Don’t know the name, just that it’s about 5 miles that way.” Alice casually pointed behind with her thumb, and winced a bit at the pull of her shoulder. 

_ Definitely need to take a better look at my arms when I get back.  _ Rick seemed to notice this and plopped down in front of her, his face expressing genuine worry. 

“That thing really did a number on you, huh? Do you mind?” He held out his hand, making a move to grab her, and she let him without much hesitation.  _ They could overpower me without much fanfare, if anything if I seem to trust them they might put their guard down.  _

And there was something about Rick that told Alice he wouldn’t hurt her. Same with Daryl, if on a smaller scale. They acted too normal, like civilized people. He smiled at her nod, and gently grasped her forearm. His hands were warm, and covered in calluses. They smoothly moved up, testing the muscles, and she winced when he got to where the infected had been holding her. He stopped immediately, and luckily seemed to have reached a verdict. 

“Doesn’t look like you pulled anything. Just gonna have some wicked bruises tomorrow.” She nodded, expecting as much. Her pain tolerance had never been high, so she planned to take tomorrow, and maybe even the next day, off. His deep blue eyes captured her own, and the way they glazed over she almost thought he was going to tear up. 

“You sure you’re okay? That was so close, and you’re so young…” He trailed off, and Alice guessed he was a family man. 

Only a parent could look that haunted for some strange kid. Granted, she wasn’t a kid, what with being 20 years old. But it was in her genes to have a baby face, and it didn’t help that she was short. She’d easily been mistaken for a high school student before, and some old acne marks only added to the look. She took his hand into her own, and hoped that her expression was somewhat reassuring. 

“No use in thinking of what could’ve been. Can’t really afford being traumatized in this day and age, am I right?” She laughed, and so did he, and with a final squeeze she released him. 

“Have-have you seen a little girl around? Can’t be much younger than you, short blonde hair, blue eyes?” 

He seemed desperate while asking her, and even Daryl came to attention at his question. She felt her heart fall, imagining that these two men,  _ maybe her parents?,  _ had lost a child in these woods. Her lips thinned, and she saw Rick’s face fall. 

“I’m so sorry, but no. Granted, I haven’t been here long. But I do come this way fairly often due to a small town about 3 miles or so that way, and I rarely see infected out and about. That one was the first one I had seen in, shoot, at least 5 trips.” 

Rick’s lips pulled up, eyes shining. “Infected, huh? We call ‘em walkers. Heard some call them biters, or just the dead, but never infected.” 

Alice raised an eyebrow, and looked between Rick and Daryl. After her words, Daryl seemed to become uninterested in her, and looked ready to head off. She needed to finish this quickly. 

“Interesting choice. Especially the ‘dead’. I suppose for some its accurate enough.” She suddenly moved to stand, smoothly reattaching her neck guard, along with her jacket. The notebook was placed within its home in her inner pocket. Rick seemed surprised at her moves, but picked himself as well. 

“I sense that you both are good people, and I hope you feel the same about me. To be honest, I haven’t been around people in awhile, and would love the chance to. Not to mention, I’d really like to repay you both for saving me. So please, tell me how I can help you, and how I can earn your trust.” 

She backpedaled to grab her backpack, snapping the buckle around her waist and looked at them both with wide eyes and an earnest face. While Daryl was harder to read, she knew she had Rick. 

“I can only imagine, Alice. Why don’t you head back with us, and you can meet the rest of our group?” She heard Daryl grumble a bit, but decided he seemed headstrong enough to not be quiet about any serious misgivings.  _ Two for two, perfect!  _ Her smile was bright, and she felt the loneliness that had been building inside lessen. 

“That sounds fantastic, really, but I have a decent set up back home. I’d hate to just leave it there, and I have a dog too. His name is Castiel, seriously the cutest,” She heard Rick chuckle, and felt herself blush. 

“ _ Anyway.  _ I’m just saying I have quite a few things I wouldn’t want to leave behind. But if I’m going to pack up, I have a pretty quick way to get back here so we aren’t walking around at night.” Rick perked up, clearly interested in how exactly she planned on travelling at least five miles, plus however far away his camp was, in the woods. With a sly grin she placed a plain cap on her head, along with a pair of sunglasses. 

“Ever ridden a four wheeler?” 

* * *

It only took a little over two hours for them to get to her camp. Lucky for her, both men were in decent shape, and after spending so many weeks having to regularly travel over 15 miles every day, the trek was a breeze. She casually disabled traps as they walked, not feeling the need to tell her two followers every skill she had yet. After all, they would see some of her talents in just a few minutes. At some point a low growl filled the air, and Alice laughed while Rick and Darryl pulled out their weapons. 

“It’s okay, it's just Cas. I’ve trained him to growl to alert me, then attack anything unfamiliar at this point. Helps me sleep.” She walked a bit closer and fell to her knees. 

“Aw come her baby! It’s just me!” Out of the brush appeared a flash of white and black, and Alice toppled from the weight. 

“Yes, yes I know I'm so exciting. What a cutie, yes you are! I love you baby, aw Cas…” She continued to coo at him, the dog a 50 pound ball of fluffy blue merle fur. Finally, after a minute or two, Alice clicked her tongue and the dog obediently sat back on his haunches. She smiled at him, whispering praise. 

“He’s a terrible guard dog for anything but infected, so feel free to pet him. Worst he’ll do is attempt to suffocate you with kisses, and maybe claw at your leg.” She could feel Rick smile behind her, and felt as he walked up to do as she said. As expected, Cas attempted to jump on him, but with a sharp sound from Rick he settled back, and Rick gave him a few rubs on his head and face. 

“He’s well trained. Did you have him before the outbreak?” Alice got up and turned to them, mind thinking back to when she first got Cas. 

“Yeah, he’s a little over two years old now. I got him when he was just a puppy after moving into my first apartment, and trained him myself. He’s the smartest dog I’ve ever owned.” 

With a different click of her tongue Alice started moving forward again, and Cas followed after her. Rick and Darryl continued as well, but stood still once they walked through the final wall of leaves that acted similar to a curtain. Before them stood her camp, and depending on their experience, she had expected them to be at least a little shocked. Not many people, even before the outbreak, could build what she could without practice. 

The area wasn’t huge, about the size of two large living rooms, but a lot filled the space. To the left was clearly a cooking area, with a neat, homemade fire pit. Messy mud bricks made up the structure, but it was clean. A stack of wood lay near it. On the other side of the pit was a small mini fridge, the cord connected to a series of homemade batteries. Beyond that was a functional shower which had the out flowing water connected to a multi step water purification system rather than a drain. She knew this was just the beginning of her creations, but likely the most eye-catching parts of her home. She’d lived here for quite some time after all, due to the river nearby, and had made her place as habitable as possible. 

_ Now comes the moment of truth. How will they react?  _

She tried not to tense, but past experience told her that being seen as potentially useful was a very dangerous thing. 

“I-wow. Did you do all of this yourself?” There was awe in Rick’s voice, and part of her relaxed. He didn’t seem any different from before. Daryl remained to be seen. 

“Yup! I’ve always been pretty handy, loved DIY stuff, and in school and at my job I worked with batteries a lot. All of that came together, and with some books, it wasn’t too hard to build all of this from the parts I could find.” Alice motioned back, excitement filling her now that she was kind of, sort of sure that they wouldn’t attempt anything nefarious. 

“Come on! Before the outbreak a lot of my knowledge was just theory, so it’d be great to show off a bit. I knew all about water purification from my classes, so I just needed the right tools and to build it. It helps that the river nearby is pretty clean. The fridge is great, lets me store some stuff that goes out once you open it, along with meat I find. I’m pretty terrible at hunting though, so it's mainly just fish, when I can catch any. The battery I use to power it took some trial and error, but I have some actual experience developing batteries, so I just had to find the right chemicals."

"And I’ve found some books on solar power so I’ve been trying to figure out how to make those, but so far it’s been a bit hit and miss. But I’m confident I’ll get there! It’s really quite interesting, and I have this vague memory of watching a video on a DIY solar powered phone charger I’ve been trying to recreate, but I just can’t remember...” 

She continued to walk them through the area, and soon made it to her bedroom which was just a tent with a twin mattress inside. “I found a couple of houses the opposite direction we came from and decided to take my four wheeler over to grab this. Seriously saved my back.” 

She continued to mumble, pointing to various things and talking about her various innovations while the two men obediently shadowed her. She had no idea what they thought, but was a bit too excited to show off all her hard work to care.  _ I just wish I’d been able to show this to dad and mom...and Jamie.  _ That thought sobered her, and while she still spoke it wasn’t with as much eagerness. 

They reached the end soon enough, and while Alice hadn’t pointed out everything, neither man asked. Rick stepped up beside her, and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. It reminded her enough of her father that not only did she not flinch, she had to fight back tears. 

“This-lord I haven’t seen the like. What on earth did you do before this? Are we talking to some teenage Steven Hawking?” Alice couldn’t help but laugh, but the two men remained dead serious. She waved her hands nervously, attempting to stop her laughter while warmth filled her. 

“Oh no not at all! I mean, I was almost done with my chemical engineering degree, but I swear I’m nothing special. My dad always pushed being able to fix things yourself, so we did a lot of at home projects. That’s how I knew how to make a fire pit. Only hard part was finding some cement, but I passed a Home Depot about a month back and made sure to pick some up. Lots of this stuff most people would deem useless so I don’t have any trouble finding it. And with all my free time I’d rather build useful stuff than sit around.” 

She could feel the redness on her cheeks inching to her chest and just knew she was as red as a lobster. The curse of a pale complexion. She dared to glance up at Rick from beneath her lashes, and found wide eyes and complete incomprehension. 

“Alice, if you don’t think this is anything special I’d love to meet whoever you hang ‘round with. I just-you have a working shower! And a fridge! What all do you even know how to do?” Alice’s face continued flaming, and her hands stubbornly refused to quit waving and shaking. 

“I mean, like I said I got books. After I found this place to settle, I figured I’d try to make it as homey as I could. Woods seemed safer than some house. You see how I am with ‘walkers’.” She laughed, and Rick’s face finally quit looking so shocked, and instead turned to a small grin. 

“But yeah um. Yeah- so I got some books and just got the right stuff. Shower was the easiest since I just use the river’s natural speed, and collect the water in a big vat when it goes fast enough to flow into my hose set up. Anyway yeah I won’t get into details but I swear this is all stuff anyone could do if they had the books I do.” 

She started tugging her hair then, which was a sign Alice was truly starting to get uncomfortable. She suddenly missed her mid-back length curls, but early on had had a mishap with an infected and deemed long hair to be too dangerous. Her chin length hair was weird, but also quite nice in the Georgia heat. Rick pulled her from her distraction by gripping her shoulders, and yet again Alice had no doubt this man was a father. 

“You go ‘head and explain it however you like. This...this is something else and nothing will tell me different. If you want to help us out, set up our camp even half as good as all this and we’d be blown away.” 

“He ain’t ‘xageratin’ kid.” Alice looked to Daryl, who had silently walked up to stand beside Rick. While his expression hadn’t changed, his eyes were somehow different than before. 

“Could really help our group, all this. An’ I like that pit. Heat’ll cook meat better than a regular fire.” Daryl nodded to himself, apparently done saying his piece, and walked back to go look around some more. Rick shook her shoulders slightly to get her attention again. She was met with an impossibly large grin. 

“Let me tell you all about our group, and you tell me if you’d be alright with some of us coming here to stay.” 

* * *

She decided to feed them once their stay lingered, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a side of chips and apple sauce. 

“Good lord I never thought a PB & J would be so daggone good.” Daryl nodded fervently beside him, already finished with his second sandwich. Alice just giggled while pulling off her crust for Cas. 

“I’m really happy you two like them so much. The bread is always hit or miss, but this loaf was just a bit singed at the bottom. I think I’m really learning how to control the fire."  Rick licked his fingers with a moan, and with closed eyes shook his head. 

“Darling I haven’t had bread in over two months. I know I keep askin’ but how on God’s green Earth did you even find the ingredients?” Alice ate a spoonful of apple sauce and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear. 

“Well, flour was easy, and so was sugar and especially yeast. And while back home I’d always make it with butter, no way you’d find butter in a store nowadays. Canola oil is sorta common though, and most of the time I can find some sort of oil. And if I ever get meat I always save the fat so that works in a pinch. Honestly, the hardest part was getting metal to create a little oven, but I managed to find some parts. And it’s super useful for cooking other stuff too!” 

Daryl nodded eagerly, licking the apple sauce from her plate. In another world Alice would’ve found it gross, but right now all she could feel was pleased that she could provide something so normal for a group of people that hadn’t experienced that in a long time. 

“Been just cookin’ squirrels and things into soups, but oven’ll cook it real nice for other things. Damn is this good, you got more?” Alice laughed and nodded, waving him over to the assortment on the table. Rick placed his plate down and gently folded his hands beneath his chin. 

“Alice, I can’t thank you enough for feeding us. Honestly, I’d call your debt, if I even said you had one, completely repaid. But you heard our story, and I hate to, but I’d ask for more.” Alice set her plate down too, and leaned back in her chair. Cas loyally settled beside her. 

“Rick, I’d be happy to help you. However, this area isn’t suited for many people. You see how small my camp is, even if it's advanced. And while I have enough to treat you guys tonight, I’ve been skimping, and that’s just for me, one person. There’s no way that the surrounding towns could sustain a whole group, and while I’m definitely not close to as good of a hunter as Daryl, I doubt there’s much game in these woods. I don’t mind you all coming here to get off that highway, but there’s no way it could be long term.” 

Rick looked crestfallen, shoulders drooping. But he made no move to force her into complying, and that only reinforced her decision. Slyly, Alice whispered, 

“But.” 

Rick’s head shot up so fast she couldn’t help but snort. Finger raised, she nodded and smiled. 

“ _ But.  _ I would love to join you, and with your help, create an even better home!” The grin Rick sent her was blinding, and the hug he scooped her in was entirely unexpected, but not unwanted. 

_ I don’t remember the last time someone hugged me. Even before the outbreak...even then.  _ She froze, but gradually relaxed, and felt something icy within her chest begin to melt. 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re okay with leaving this behind Alice?” She raised her arm up high, a thumbs up appearing at the end. Rick shrugged but left the table, instead going over to help Darryl pack up her tent. She was currently sorting through her various chemicals, trying to decide what would be worth risking the trip. 

Some of them weren’t stable, and most of them had come here  _ very  _ carefully in her backpack one at a time. At least one day a week was dedicated to travelling to a small community college about 10 miles east, and usually she only brought back one chemical if it was particularly volatile. If she had to run, she could never risk carrying much. She also had lots and lots of bubble wrap. 

So far, they’d spent about an hour gathering what they could, being mindful of what all could fit in her four wheeler. It really was her luck that she had known someone who owned a four-seat ATV. 

_ If only I had made it sooner... _

She closed her eyes tightly, urging the heaviness in her chest to dissipate. That was then. Nothing to do about it now. She made notes in her journal, looking at her ‘recipes’ to see what was most important. 

_ I _ _ won’t need to make traps yet, I need a base before trying that out. And they have one boy now, soon another little girl, and I’d be hesitant to set these without knowing if they could be trusted to be mindful. Yeah, pass. And I have enough Agent P to fill over 50 syringes. Could bring that and leave the rest. Doubt anyone would raid this, not when I’ve never had an intruder-  _

Her thoughts and scribbles were interrupted by Rick, hesitantly tapping her shoulder. 

“Yeah?” She said absentmindedly, but made sure at least half an ear was focused on him. 

“I really don’t think much else will fit. Daryl volunteered to go back solo, and while I don’t like it I think it’ll be necessary.” Alice tucked her pen behind her ear, and gave Rick a sharp nod. 

“No need to worry Rick- it's dangerous out there but I can’t count the number of times I've walked back here after dark. Walkers don’t come this way, definitely not in any large groups. As long as he keeps to the woods he’ll be safer than us.” Rick sidled up to her, taking the box of various containers and equipment with only a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah? Which way are we going that’s so dangerous?” With a small huff, Alice placed the gallon container of Agent P on the backseat of the four wheeler.  _ Carefully.  _ Likewise, Rick placed the box of delicate equipment on the other seat. 

“Well, not only are we going to be much noisier, but you and I will have to travel on the open road eventually. Luckily, I actually traveled here on the four wheeler, so I know the way to a road, which should lead to the highway if I remember right. We’ll have to be careful though, and not waste time. Main reason why I haven’t been using the four wheeler is cause I’m out of gas, and I’ve never been brave enough to try the highway myself. And once we get to the highway, well- you’re the one that told me about your herd, lovely term by the way. But- yeah. Depending on their speed, it wouldn’t be shocking if we ran into them.” 

Surprisingly, they didn’t face any trouble while in the forest. Her small oven had fallen from the makeshift canopy on the roof which served as a surface for most of her non-delicate items at some point, but they just stopped and she grabbed it. While now slightly bent, it remained usable and they continued with little fanfare. 

She even dared to show Rick her working iPod (it was shockingly easy to make a battery strong enough to charge one, and her current solar powered battery models actually worked somewhat in charging it). They listened to the music on shuffle, all the songs being ones Alice liked, it was her iPod after all, and Rick was just thrilled enough to listen to  _ music  _ again that he didn’t care what played. 

Soon enough they made it to a dirt road which led to asphalt, and finally they met where it connected to the highway. Unfortunately, in their slow moving in an effort to not ruin their delicate workmanship of the canopy, they ran out of gas about a mile from the intersect. Being so close to where people might pass by, Rick insisted on her staying put, but as she had never personally removed gas from a car, she refused and assured Rick that Cas would protect it just fine. While clearly dubious, he allowed it, and with an extra set of hands they were able to collect twice as much gas, along with some other goodies from the cars. Their vehicle remained unbothered, and Cas appeared to have taken a relaxing nap. Their travel along the highway was made even more carefully. Something falling now could be devastating. 

“Based on the signs, I think we’re a little over four miles from our group. Should be able to make it in about 15 minutes actually.” 

Alice grinned, and nuzzled into Cas. She was so excited to meet everybody. Rick’s wife seemed lovely, a strong no nonsense type of woman. Carl sounded adorable, and she’d always loved kids. He even had a boy, Glenn she thought he had said, who was around her own age! Honestly, they all sounded like good decent people the way Rick talked, but she had already noticed that he was the type to see the good in everyone. She liked to think that she did the same though, so Alice figured what he said would at least be partially accurate. The four wheeler suddenly stopped, and Rick grabbed her upper arm sharply. 

“Alice, we need to hide.” 

Expecting infected, Alice felt her body go cold, but instead she could now hear male, and very much  _ alive  _ voices. Coming towards them were five men, armed to the teeth, and they did not look friendly. They shared a glance, and Rick pulled her across the seat so they could hide behind a neighboring van. Alice desperately urged on Cas, and he followed easily. They both crouched down, unwilling to hide beneath the car in case they were spotted and needed to move quickly. 

The men had to have been at least a mile away, but Rick had been observant enough to spot them, even though the group clearly hadn’t seen them. They made their way quickly though, the surrounding cars clearly had already been picked through. 

“Mmm she was a good ‘un wadn’t she? She fough’ sure, but  _ damn  _ she was wet and tight by the end.” 

“I think that was just the blood Earl.”  The newly identified Earl roughly swatted the clearly younger boy upside the head, and the rest of the group laughed. 

“Don’ be foul now boy. It neither here nor there anyha’. Doubt we’ll fin’ anotha anytime soon, gotta relive the memory!” While reminiscing, one of the other men ran up ahead and reached their four wheeler. Rick gripped her shoulder tightly, and Alice was both irritated and reassured. 

_ These rapist hicks will  _ not  _ steal my stuff. I swear to god they will not.  _

“ ‘ey boss! Lookie what I found!” The man was grungy with a buzzcut that still somehow managed to be greasy. His right eye was swollen, and the thin nail marks across his cheek made Alice shiver. The rest of the group made it up to him quickly, each of them interested in potential goodies. Alice was entranced, and almost didn’t notice Rick leaning into her ear. 

“ _ Alice, I don’t think this is worth the risk. It’s one versus five and, I hate to even mention it to you but you heard what they said. I couldn’t stand the idea of them laying a hand on you. We can walk back, and I swear we can find everything you had okay?”  _

His breath was warm against the side of her face, and she could feel herself winding tighter and tighter with everything he said. She grabbed his hand, and placed it on her lower back. He seemed confused until he felt a familiar bulge. 

“ _ It’s two against five Rick, and I am an excellent shot.”  _

* * *

Living alone in Chicago, Illinois, Alice had elected to get her gun license almost as soon as she had moved in. She didn’t feel comfortable not knowing how to use it though, and decided to take classes throughout the summer. Soon enough she liked it so much she decided to get her own conceal and carry license, and before she knew it guns were her new hobby. It helped that her dad was an avid gun collector, and allowed her to hold onto all of his guns while he was on the road. Now, all of those were with her, safely packaged on her canopy. Except for one.  _ “ _

_ Will you shoot to kill, Rick?”  _

She was fine with not, but after hearing what they said, they would’ve been killed in states with the death penalty anyway. Even ignoring that, she hated the idea of letting scum like this free to go hurt someone else. In these times, certain activities just could not be allowed. Rape and cold blooded murder were easy to add to that list, she thought. Rick appeared to contemplate it for a moment, but after glancing over the claw marks on each of the men again, his face turned to stone. 

_ “I don’t like it, but they’ve gone too far. We can’t let it happen to anyone else.”  _ Alice nodded, honestly quite pleased with his determination. She knew it was hard, and fought with herself on the idea, but she’d always been a bit cold when it came to hurting others. And for something like this? It would haunt her, but she wouldn’t hesitate. And she wouldn’t regret it. 

“ _ We’ll have to be quick, ya hear? I’m trusting that you can actually shoot. I can take the first two on the left. I’m quick enough that I’ll down them both before they move. However, I need you to at least down that big guy on the right. I could win against two of them solo, so with you we can definitely take them. But in a tussle, that guy could be a problem. Sound good?”  _

Alice nodded, unwilling to fight against his lack of trust in her abilities. It wasn’t worth it, not when the stakes were so high. She was very happy that she decided to not bring any of her more explosive chemicals. They’d all be dead at the first shot if she had. Rick gave her a firm pat and pulled out his weapon, carefully taking aim. Alice did the same, sweat pouring into her eyes as she prepared herself to kill a man.  _ I _

_ t’s not wrong. You’re doing what you have to do. You’re saving not only yourself, but their future victims.  _

Following Rick’s countdown, in sync, they fired.

Rick, of course, got two head shots, and smoothly shifted to make it three. Alice successfully hit her target, but got him in the chest instead of the head. She was used to shooting in ranges, not in open air, and was happy that she had realized that instead of immediately aiming for the hardest to reach target. She even managed to graze the side of one of the others before they took cover, but soon they were at a standoff. 

Alice didn’t bother returning their shots, hoping that one of them would completely pop out and try to run at them. Or even better, run out of ammo. Rick decided to do the typical back and forth, but unlike the two men actually conserved his ammo. They both heard a whine, and an “Aw fuck.” then, and grinned. They had run out of ammo! 

Alice peeked over the van, trying to see where they were hiding. Her hands got oddly wet though, and she dropped her gun while attempting to see why. Then, pain shot through her shoulder and she dropped back, cursing herself. 

_ Fucking idiot, they played you! Pretending to be out of ammo while one snuck around the cars. Fuck should’ve seen it coming god damn it hurts-oh ow oh oh-  _ She panted, oblivious to the world around her but she thought she heard two distinct gun shots. She also felt her face being licked and couldn’t help but laugh in her pain. 

“Shhh it’s okay baby. Mommy’s okay. Just a flesh wound!” She laughed again, and he continued to lick at her face until she couldn’t feel the tears. She continued to mumble reassurance, her hand getting slippery from attempting to plug up her shoulder wound. She wondered how bad it was, and dared to look down. 

Blood gushed out, more blood than she had ever seen before. The worst accident she’d even been in was a car accident, and while she fractured her pelvis and banged her head, nothing had ever bled like this before. And it hadn’t hurt this bad either. She felt her useless hand get replaced by a thick towel, one of hers, and a warm palm brushed the sweaty bangs sticking to her forehead. 

“It’s okay Alice, you’re gonna be just fine. I know it looks bad, but I already checked and the bullet passed through easily, we were close enough that it didn’t even fracture. It may have nicked a vein, and that’s why its bleeding as much as it is. You listening?” Alice shook her head and nodded, and Rick continued petting her hair. 

“Good. Keep listening okay? You’ve lost some blood so I need you to stay with me, at least until it stops. You did really good ya know? Shocked me! I thought for sure you would miss but you weren’t kidding about being a good shot. Made a great partner you did, Shane’ll love you I can already see it. And Carl is just gonna go ballistic. You’ll be the closest in age now, next to Sophie, and I’m sure he’ll drive you crazy but you’ll love him just the same, you just can’t help it. And with all that stuff you know I’m sure you can teach them all sorts of things. We don’t have an actual teacher, so lots of the lessons are hit and miss I hear. And-looks like it's stopping!” 

Alice shook her head, the fuzziness there unfamiliar, and she knew that if she attempted to stand she’d throw up. Rick gently laid her on the van, letting it support her. 

“I think I remember where you kept your first aid. We’ll clean you up a bit, and do a better job back at the base, yeah? You just rest, don’t worry about a thing.” 

Alice attempted to nod, but it hurt so she stopped. She felt one last pat on her head, and felt as it turned to a piece of hair being tucked behind her ear. The feeling was so familiar, from her own dad, that she wasn’t sure if it was real or made up. She passed out before she could think much about it. 

* * *

_ Damn damn  _ damn!  _ Is this not some of the coolest shit you ever seen Simon? I swear, this is some Einstein-next-level shit! Ali- I humbly request that you join my little group of merrymen. You, just make your cool shit, and we’ll get you anything your little heart desires. Sound good? Yeah, I thought it would! Gather it all up boys.  _

Alice woke up abruptly, and with a gross stickiness on her skin.  _ Ugh I need a shower.  _ The hand on her head made opening her eyes important, so she did and was met with Rick’s worried face. She absentmindedly wondered how long she had been out. She’d never passed out before, and it was oddly similar to falling asleep, except for the disorientation when she woke up.  _ Maybe more like a long nap? _ At her eyes, Rick’s frown turned to a smile, his eyes glittering.  _ They really are quite pretty. I should tell him.  _

“Hey there sleepyhead. You haven’t been out long, just half an hour or so. I took a back way to get back, afraid I might run into more of those guys. We’re a little ways off, but pretty close. Wanted to give you a chance to get your bearings before you met everyone.” 

Alice smiled back weakly, grunting as she urged herself to sit up. Apparently Rick had laid her across his lap while she slept, and part of her was mortified, but most of her was unbearably grateful for this ridiculously kind stranger. Once she managed to sit up, she threw her arms around Rick, no amount of nervousness keeping her from expressing affection to the man who basically saved her life. Again. 

“Thank you. I- just thank you.” 

He pulled her deeper into the hug and she felt herself begin to cry, two close calls definitely enough for her. He let her be, gently rubbing a hand across her head and back. It hurt, because of memories, but it was also so relaxing that she couldn’t pull away. They sat like that, as the sun began to fall, until her tears dried up and the ache in her shoulder could no longer be ignored. She broke the hug and wiped her face, and smiled at Rick who smiled right back. She had already noticed that he’d removed her, maybe, ruined jacket and neck covering, and had replaced it with a thick, tight bandage that wound around her chest and waist. While stiff, it didn’t feel terrible, and decided it was probably good for now.  _ Time for the grand finale. Socialization.  _

While it would normally make her stomach drop, not having a soul to speak to in so long made the prospect of people exciting, even for her. Even after today. So Alice didn’t hesitate to urge Rick on with a wave, and so they made the final drive. 

She noticed the RV before she noticed any people, but as they got closer the people became more apparent. It looked like someone was on the roof, but almost as soon as she saw them, they got off and began chatting with the vague figures below.  _ Probably saw us. Reminds me that I need to replace the binoculars I lost.  _

She made a move to grab her journal, but realized halfway that it was still with her jacket, and her hand limply fell into her lap. The others ran up to meet them, a pretty, thin, woman and a small dark haired boy leading the group. Rick practically jumped out of the four wheeler to greet her and the boy, and Alice couldn’t help but smile at the family reunion. 

She eyed the others, deciding it would be more appropriate for Rick to introduce her than for her to introduce herself. There were three men and one woman besides Rick’s wife. Not a large group, and Alice could feel the emptiness.  _ Their overwhelming loss was so recent, and they just lost a little girl. I can only imagine.  _

None of them seemed particularly intimidating. The older man, she thinks his name was Dave, seems especially nice, and looks like the first one to really notice her. Like expected, he walked up to her first. 

“Hey sweetheart, what happened there?” He pointed and then made a vague hand gesture to her elaborate and vibrant white bandaging. She grinned and shrugged, nervously pulling at her shirt. 

“Fight gone wrong, it’s all good now though. Rick saved me.” At her words Rick pulled away from Carl, but only enough that he could look at her, and the rest of the group. 

“Hey everybody. This is Alice, me and Daryl found her almost becoming walker food and, long story short, she decided to join up with us.” She saw Dave and the Asian boy,  _ Oh yeah, Glenn!,  _ drip with sympathy, the huge bandage no doubt making her look quite pathetic. The tall guy instead switched to instant rage. 

“ Are you kidding me Rick? Is she bit under that bandage? Why on Earth would you-” Rick clapped him on the shoulder, and his yelling suddenly stopped. 

“You know I wouldn’t. She’s not bit, she got shot on our way here. I was gonna let her explain.” The taller man, she guessed he was Shane, relaxed a bit at that, but his glare didn’t disappear. There were some shocked mumbles about the "shot" comment, but she figured those questions were best left for later. Concerning Shane, she had no idea what she’d done to him, but decided she didn’t really care. 

“Well, we don’t have the time or the supplies to take care of some girl. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for her, but you wasted the whole day with this girl when we really need to be looking for Sophia.” That name sobered the whole group, and the pretty woman with short gray hair attempted to hold back tears, but didn’t really succeed. Alice figured now was as good a time as any to step in. 

“Look here, Shane. Rick asked me to come to you guys. After saving my life, I figured helping you all out would be a great way to pay him and Daryl back. I’m happy to go back to my camp whenever though, so I’d appreciate you, um, not being so quick to judge.” 

Her voice kind of petered out at the end, but overall she felt confident in her rebuttal and let herself lean back. The older man had started glaring at Shane before, but seemed to be holding back laughter now. Even Glenn was holding back a smile, and Alice felt pretty accomplished. 

“Exactly what she said, Shane. Honest to god, you won’t believe what this girl can do. But let’s talk about all that later, we brought dinner.”

“Good god this is so good. You’re telling me you made this bread?” Everyone sat around the small campfire, except for Glenn who had volunteered to do the first watch as long as he could take up a sandwich of his own. Lori had been the first to compliment her, everyone else was too busy stuffing their faces. 

“Yeah- it’s still packed up but I made a little oven. All the stuff for bread is super easy to find so it’s not hard to make. And with my fridge my jam doesn’t go bad so lots of PB & J’s!” The others were either still entranced with their food, or looked at her with awe. Alice didn’t think her blush would ever disappear. 

“I figured I’d bring the rest of the jar for you all, along with all my other perishable stuff. Didn’t want to leave the fridge plugged in without knowing when I’d be able to go back and grab it. So feel free to finish it up!” 

They all nodded thankfully, and Alice settled down. She wasn’t hungry, and neither was Rick. She knew all the questions would come soon, so she relaxed while she could. It didn’t last long. 

“So Alice, where do you come from?” This question came from the gray haired woman, Carol. She didn’t expect this question, and it took her a second to answer. 

“Oh-well um I’m originally from Ohio. I traveled here from Chicago though. I was in school when the outbreak started.” Carol nodded, her face serene with a small smile. Something about her was extremely motherly, nothing like her own mom . 

“So you were all alone? How’d you escape?” Alice could feel Rick tuning in, and the rest of the group seemed slightly more interested in her than their meals. 

“Well, my school was a technical one, so lots of my professors had higher up connections. One of them, Dr. Cinar, actually was friends with someone who worked at the CDC. Anyway, lots of my teachers started quitting, and Dr. Cinar warned us that something was happening, and that we should probably go back to our families. I think that may have saved my life.” 

Alice stretched her arms straight in front of her, breathing suddenly taking effort. Carol looked at her with sympathy. 

“This was all before things got really bad, maybe a week before. So I had time to gather some essentials before people went crazy. Luckily I had my own car, I lived on my own, so I was just able to leave. Was gonna meet with my family back home but...yeah. I’m here, so it didn’t quite work out that way.” She felt a shiver crawl down her spine, and even in the Georgia heat she felt cold. 

“I made it home, but they weren’t there. There was, ya know, blood and stuff but I don’t know if it was any of them. And my dad was a trucker, so it's just as likely that they just ran out of time and drove off without me. We talked about meeting in Florida if Ohio didn’t work out, but so much stuff was left behind and I lost my car-it just didn’t seem doable anymore.” 

She shrugged and rubbed at her face, even though it was dry. 

“What about you guys? Rick wasn’t able to tell me much, except for your names.” 

Thankfully, they took the change in topic in stride and told her their own stories, each unique and harrowing in its own way.


	2. O. unilateralis

_ Date: 09/27/10 _

_ Time: Saturday, 6:05 A - Quite sunny, already hot for the time. Days have been particularly hot, perhaps should be expecting rain? Will be october soon, will need to prep for winter. Should probably ask the others normal weather patterns for Georgia  _

_ I’ve never thought to use this as a journal, but I suppose with so much happening, its best to get my thoughts on paper. Still with this new group. ***Look to pg 47 for a list of members and general characteristics for reference.  _

_ Things have been, quite frankly, absolutely insane. I’ve still hurt, unfortunately, but so far it seems that my wound is progressing nicely. I’ve started to undergo some easy stretching and muscle exercises to retain original ability. As of now no signs of infection (as in bacterial, not the pandemic viral ‘Infection’), but the wound is hot, and of course could easily become infected still. Testing suggests the virus will lie dormant until contact with fresh infected saliva or bacteria, but as known this is certainly just a hypothesis. Therefore, the wound MUST be carefully covered and cleaned. Limit any exposure to infected, not worth the risk.  _

_ Question \-- Is there any way to further test this? Is there a latency period? Perhaps, if any ‘infected’ material is absorbed, there would be time to remove it? Clearly, it travels through the blood. But how long does it remain potent? If I ate infected flesh, would it be able to awaken my dormant infection? If I injected old infected saliva or blood into my bloodstream, would I gain the infection? Could I, perhaps even, develop an  immunity???? \----- Perhaps absorbing small amounts at a time could, over time, allow myself to become immune, as some can do with snake venom?  MUST INVESTIGATE****** _

Nibbling at her lip, Alice chuckled, multiple thoughts and theories spun through her mind as the morning sun rose and warmed the dew covered grass beneath her.  _ What a crazy idea, developing an immunity. It would require a human test subject, and who on Earth would be willing?  _

She shut her notebook with a certain finality, something in her heart feeling heavy.  _ If I were still with them, they’d find me one. _

“Yeah! I think this would be an excellent spot. You sure this works for you, Hershel?” Alice and said man walked leisurely, a few others nearby looking on in interest. 

“I should think so. No dips, little shade, and it’s decently close to the house like you mentioned. How far down did you say we would need to dig, again?” Beaming, Alice trotted to their chosen spot, arms wide and gesturing as she spoke. 

“About four feet down I’d say, that way the soil will stay at that nice 40 to 50 F range. Depending on how big you want it, which I’d say not too big to not waste material and time, we should try and make a nice 5 by 5 or so base. And, personally, I’d wanna use metal siding, but it might be easier to find wood. Depends on what you’ve got and what’s in town. But yeah, by next month you should have a nice winter greenhouse!” Hands on her hips, Alice turned her gaze back to Hershel, this plan in particular having her fired up. 

Of course, since Hershel and his family had been so kind to Alice and her new friends, she felt it her duty to help out how she could. With the amount of space and resources he had, part of her felt what she had been doing was more of a treat for her, rather than helping them, however. Not that she planned on telling them that. Hershel just smiled, his white hair and blue eyes both shocking in their brightness. He was tough, but fair, and he’d taken an immediate liking to her and her desire to further improve his farm. 

“I look forward to seeing your progress. Now, should we take a look at your side, and then I can check on Carl?” Beam fading to just a smile Alice nodded, the two of them making their way back inside.

“Daggone!” Alice whined, tears making her gaze water uncomfortably. Hershel stopped and smiled with sympathy. She bit her lip and shook it off, letting the pain wash over her. 

“Sorry- I know it’s not so bad. I’m just a baby s’all.” She chuckled, wetly, and settled, letting the old man get back to work. Carl continued to sleep nearby, still pretty weak. Her gaze couldn’t help but lock back on his form, so small and pale on the large bed.  _ Too young. Just...too young.  _

“Vitals still good?” Seeing where she was looking Hershel just nodded, his hands gentle as they reapplied the gauze. Alice swallowed, hard, and whispered, “Good. That’s, uh, good.”

“How’d searching go then?” 

Alice had noticed Rick and Shane were back, and knew the two planned to do a quick search while Daryl went further out, alone. She still personally found it hilarious that the two were, quote, “Stompin’ through the woods louder than a couple’a kitties in heat.” As funny as the phrase was, Daryl’s deadpan annoyed manner was what really sold it. As Alice approached, she quickly realized she had encroached on a private discussion and internally cursed. Warily, Alice carefully looked over Shane from the corner of her eye, while she mainly focused on Rick. Her friendly smile didn’t even twitch. 

Rick seemed to shake off whatever tension had befallen the pair, face lighting at the sight of her. Even after so little time with him, Alice knew he desperately didn’t want to be the ragtag leader of this group. He was competent, but didn’t enjoy having power. He just couldn’t stand having things done incorrectly. And in the absence of charisma, power was normally gained by the competent and confident. 

_ Of course, Shane is much the same.  _

She could feel the dislike his open views on Sophia and the “gun-free zone” had garnered from the rest of the group. Personally, she felt his feelings were entirely reasonable, if not well presented. In some ways, Alice felt he made an even better leader than Rick, but he was just too hard and ready to change for this new world, while everyone else was too soft. 

_ That will change though. They just haven’t seen enough, yet.  _

Even if she felt that Shane was a fine character, he seemed to deeply dislike her, for some reason. Or, more like, he disliked everyone, and she didn’t even have the benefit of sharing their previous history. 

_ It might be my perkiness.  _

Shane snorted and spit, one last significant look shared with Rick, and stomped off, that odd habit of rubbing his head done with anger. Alice gulped, and looked back to Rick. 

_ Yeah. Probably my perkiness.  _

Like a dog, Rick shook it off, hand coming up to touch the gauze wrapped around her side and shoulder. “Seems that we all just keep getting shot, huh?” Rick said, smile half hearted and his eyes too sad. Alice laughed, enough to hurt her side, and to infect Rick with it too. 

“Yup, gotta take turns. Like a club initiation. Me and Carl’ll be the badasses of the group, telling tales of our struggles.” Alice sighed, smile brightening. “Can’t wait to meet the kid, by the way. I can tell he’s an absolute sweetheart just from his little face. And we’ll be able to share war stories!” Rick chuckled, and Alice was pleased to see some weight slipping from his shoulders. 

“I’m sure he’d love that. Thanks, Alice.” She patted his back and let it lay there, holding his gaze. 

“Anytime Rick.” 

“So, shoot it, right?” T-dog, aka Theodore as the man had said earlier that day, grunted, lip curled in disgust at whatever he wanted to shoot in the well. From this distance Alice wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but the congregation along with a suggestion of violence drew her over. It was a pretty large group actually, consisting of Lori, Shane, Glenn, Dale, who she now knew was called Dale, and not Dave, Maggie, Andrea, and T-dog, of course. 

“If it hasn’t already ruined the water, blowing its brains everywhere sure would.” Andrea grumbled, eyebrow raised in disbelief. 

Alice truly hoped this is what she thought it was. “Is there an infected in the well?” Alice practically yelled, her excitement making her question sound more than a little inappropriate. At least, the stares seemed to suggest so. Alice almost skipped over, but controlled herself, and instead ran over to the edge, body hanging over the lip of the well. 

“Oh- Hey!” Glenn yelled, arms coming up to pull her back. Alice let him, body shaking in her eagerness. 

_ Safe, contained, and preserved! Oh, what I could do with this.  _

“Alice, be careful. You could’ve fallen in!” Dale yelled, and Glenn nodded with him. Bashful, Alice rubbed her neck, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. 

“Sorry- didn’t mean to worry anyone. I-just- this is so perfect!” She screamed a bit at the end, unintentionally, and felt herself feeling for her journal. She was used to keeping it on her, but since her jacket was ruined it always fell out of her other pockets. Half an ear on her surroundings now, she barely heard the scoff from Shane. 

“And why on God’s green Earth would that be a good thing, huh girl?” Alice looked up, hands stilling their frantic searching, to find inquisitive glances and Shane’s hard stare. Slightly intimidated, Alice smiled, her go-to expression. 

“Well, I haven’t discussed it much with you all, but I’m something of a scientist.” She could feel their interest rise, and that gave her confidence. “Ever since this all started, I’ve spent a significant amount of time trying to understand what exactly causes the infected. Of course, I’m no professional, but I know a thing or two about biology, and I know enough to be able to read and learn what I don’t already know.” She paused, hoping the gravity of what she was saying would be understood by them. 

“The infected, and all of us of course, carry a virus, or some sort of parasite. Could even be a fungus, I’m just not sure. However, what I do know, is that whatever this is, the only way me, or anyone else, can figure out what’s causing it is if we can study it. I don’t have a lab, or a proper facility. But if I could have access, safe access, to a well preserved infected, I could take some serious steps in truly understanding, and hopefully treating, the disease. At the very least, I could potentially find means of fighting the infected. This, right here, could be my chance!” By the end Alice was breathing heavy with passion, eyes searching each of their faces for the excitement she hoped they now shared. 

Instead, she saw confusion, and in some, horror. “What do you mean by all of us?” 

Alice realized, very quickly, that she had dropped a bombshell. With little fanfare, Shane had grabbed her while yelling about a group meeting. She followed without compliant, but did remove herself from his grip. Before she knew it, everyone was gathered in the house, even though Hershel seemed sort of upset by it. Alice hoped her shrug was a decent enough answer. 

“So, what’s this all about Shane? Did we find something?” Rick seemed excited, but also afraid. Just the mention of Sophia, and Carol’s face as Rick asked, was enough to make her feel quite low. Honestly, part of her was still a little confused by Shane’s, and everyone’s, reaction to her little speech. From what he asked, about what about it being all of us, just didn’t make sense to her. What exactly had she said that was so scary? 

“Girl, tell him what you told us. About the virus, and all of us.” He backed up, and she was left the floor. Nervous, Alice pulled her arms behind her back, stomach turning. She had never been the best with public speaking. 

“Well-I. Honestly, I’m not 100% on what exactly your question is? Are you talking about the research I’ve been putting into the infected?” Alice stuttered, and Shane eyes almost seemed to soften at her confusion, but his voice remained hard. “You said walkers have a virus, and you said we all have it.” At that everyone who wasn’t there, and Rick, gasped. Rick, instead, paled, and Alice was very curious about that reaction. Noted, she straightened, confident now that she understood. 

_ I’m surprised they didn’t know. I guess none of their own have died of anything other than the infected.  _

_ They’ve been lucky.  _

After taking a full breath, Alice spoke, “ It’s not what you’re thinking. No one here will suddenly become infected. I haven’t witnessed that, and if it were to happen, it would be a very specific case.” She could feel the tenseness of the room ease a bit at that, and was glad to rid them of that fear. She knew she’d only be replacing it with a new burden. 

“From what I’ve observed, bites and the like only serve as a trigger. The virus, or whatever causes the infected, is within each of us, lying in wait. When we’re bitten, or when we die, the then dormant virus awakens and takes over the host, thus creating an infected. So, as I said, we all have it. It's just not active.” Alice remained standing, glancing over everyone’s faces. She knew it was a lot to take in, but part of her felt that it wasn’t really a big deal. She supposed that someone who was religious may have more issue with it, and so she hesitantly caught Hershel’s eye. Instead, he somehow seemed elated. 

“What else do you know, about them.” Hershel asked, voice carefully modulated to hide his enthusiasm. She caught it though, and just like with Rick, she filed it away. 

“Well, as I mentioned to the others, I haven’t been able to do many proper tests, because I have no way to safely store and interact with a subject. Not to mention the fact that I don’t have a proper lab space or equipment to work with. I know I had planned to stop a CDC or something, but all of the ones I saw were either locked down or had self destructed.” At that she saw more than a few winces, and knew there was a story to be told there. “But, my major involved more than a little biology, and my focus was actually in pharmaceutical engineering so I know quite a bit about the process of developing medicine. So, I sort of felt it was my duty to help figure out something about them, whether it was just trying to understand, or even developing some sort of cure. I know my first task was seeing if there was anything human left about them. If there was, there might be some way to communicate with them, ya know?” 

At that he seemed especially excited, even standing up. She saw the other Greene’s interest building as well, and kept her suspicions carefully hidden. 

“Have any of you heard of  _ O. unilateralis _ ?” She asked, and received a couple of shakes in the negative, while the rest stayed quiet. She spoke carefully, and with purpose. “It’s a type of fungus, and is the reason that, currently, I suspect the ‘infected’ are caused by some sort of fungus, rather than a virus.” She turned, letting her eyes meet everyone’s, but focusing on the Greene’s. She had a feeling they needed to hear this more than anyone else. 

“This fungus will attack ants, specifically in tropical forests. They send out spores, and enter the brain of the host. Slowly, they take over.” 

Her voice deepened, and part of her wishes it was night and she had a flashlight. As if she were telling scary stories. In a way, she was. Their lives were a living nightmare. 

“Over the course of a few days, the fungus will kill the ant and take over its body. It controls its movements, forces it to quit normal behaviors like staying with the nest, and will have it travel where it can reproduce. Once the ant has died, it will release even more spores, aiming to infect the other unsuspecting ants in the colony. The only goal of this fungus is to reproduce, as is the goal of the infected disease, or I’m hypothesizing based on how the infected act.” She paused, gathering herself. This would be the hard part, and she carefully made sure she wasn’t holding direct eye contact with any of the Greene’s. 

“I have no doubt that a cure exists for those of us with the dormant disease. It just needs to be discovered. But those who have... _ turned _ , the infected. Those people, the disease has killed, just like how  _ O. unilateralis  _ kills ants. The infected are simply hosts who perform the disease’s will, which is to spread itself, and to eat to remain alive.” She couldn’t help but look to Hershel now, and Alice felt her heart break at the look on his face. 

“We can’t revive the dead.” 

At that, Beth began to sob, and Alice heard more than saw Hershel leaving the room. Patricia didn’t spare Alice a glance as she ran out to him. Maggie’s gaze was heavy, heavier than anyone else’s. 

“How did you find out, that we all turn?” Rick asked, and his voice was much too careful. She smiled, eyes looking at something no one else could see. 

“Just like anything else. I observed it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its almost been a year! But I wrote this tonight and decided to share. This is just the start of deviation from canon


End file.
